Bogs
A bog is a wetland that accumulates peat, a deposit of dead plant material—often mosses, and in a majority of cases, Sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, quagmire and muskeg. Frequently, as the illustration on the right shows, they are covered in Ericaceous shrubs rooted in the Sphagnum moss and peat. The gradual accumulation of decayed plant material in a bog functions as a carbon sink. Bogs occur where the water at the ground surface is acidic and low in nutrients. In some cases, the water is derived entirely from precipitation, in which case they are termed ombrotrophic (rain-fed). Water flowing out of bogs has a characteristic brown colour, which comes from dissolved peat tannins. In general the low fertility and cool climate results in relatively slow plant growth, but decay is even slower owing to the saturated soil. Hence peat accumulates. Large areas of landscape can be covered many meters deep in peat. Bogs have a distinctive group of plant and animal species, and are of high importance for biodiversity, particularly in landscapes that are otherwise settled and farmed. What native species of reptiles and amphibians can be found here? A bog/wetland habitat is a great ecosystem for grass snakes. You are very likely to find one in this habitat throughout the most of the UK. Adders abundant here usually especially if the bog is within a heath which it usually is. Common lizards may inhabit the drier areas of the wetland and the long grasses. Bogs are great places for the common frog & toad. All 3 native newts can be found within a wetland espacially the smooth newt; the great crested and palmate newt may only be found here if it's near of in a place where they are distrbuted: the same goes for the pool frog. The UK consists of the following types of bogs. Click the links to check them out on wikipedia: United Kingdom *Astley and Bedford Mosses - peat located in Astley, Greater Manchester *Ballynahone Bog - a raised bog and the largest in Northern Ireland *Carrington Moss - peat bog located in Trafford, Greater Manchester *Chat Moss - peat bog located in Salford, Greater Manchester *Cors Caron - peat bog near Tregaron, Ceredigion, Wales *Cors Fochno - peat bog near Borth, Ceredigion, Wales *Crymlyn Bog - a nature reserve near Swansea, Wales *Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses - a National Nature Reserve which straddles the border between England and Wales *Flanders Moss - a National Nature Reserve and the largest lowland raised bog in Britain; west of Stirling, Scotland *Flow Country - the largest expanse of blanket bog in Europe - Caithness and Sutherland, Scotland *Matley Bog - an ancient woodland bog in the New Forest, Hampshire, England *Max Bog - a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest west of the village of Winscombe, Avon, in England * Migneint - a large expanse of Blanket Bog in Southern Snowdonia in Wales *Moine Mhor ("Great Moss") - a National Nature Reserve managed by Scottish Natural Heritage near Kilmartin, Scotland *Moseley Bog - a nature reserve in the Moseley area of Birmingham in England *Portlethen Moss - a nature reserve in northeast Scotland *Red Moss of Netherley - a bog in Netherley, Aberdeenshire, Scotland *Red Moss - a wetland bog located in Horwich, Greater Manchester *Wem Moss - an almost pristine part of the same British moss complex as Fenn's, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses, but isolated from them by agricultural land *Yanal Bog - a biological Site of Special Scientific Interest on the southern edge of the North Somerset Levels in England Distribution and extent Bogs are widely distributed in cold, temperate climes, mostly in boreal ecosystems in the northern hemisphere. The world's largest wetland is the peat bogs of the Western Siberian Lowlands in Russia, which cover more than a million square kilometres. Large peat bogs also occur in North America, particularly the Hudson Bay Lowland and the Mackenzie River Basin. They are less common in the southern hemisphere, with the largest being the Magellanic Moorland, comprising some 44,000 square kilometers. Sphagnum bogs were widespread in northern Europe but have often been cleared and drained for agriculture. Bog habitats Many species of evergreen shrubs are found in bogs, such as Labrador tea.There are many highly specialised animals and plants associated with bog habitat. Most are capable of tolerating the combination of low nutrient levels and waterlogging. Sphagnum moss is generally abundant, along with ericaceous shrubs. The shrubs are often evergreen, which is understood to assist in conservation of nutrients. In drier locations, evergreen trees can occur, in which case the bog blends into the surrounding expanses of boreal evergreen forest. Sedges are one of the more common herbaceous species. Carnivorous plants such as sundews (Drosera) and pitcher plants Sarracenia purpurea have adapted to the low-nutrient conditions by using invertebrates as a nutrient source. Orchids have adapted to these conditions through the use of mycorrhizal fungi to extract nutrients. Some shrubs such as Myrica gale have root nodules in which nitrogen fixation occurs, thereby providing another supplemental source of nitrogen.Bogs are recognized as a significant/specific habitat type by a number of governmental and conservation agencies. They can provide habitat for mammals, such as caribou, moose, and beavers, as well as for species of nesting shorebirds, such as Siberian cranes and yellowlegs. The United Kingdom in its Biodiversity Action Plan establishes bog habitats as a priority for conservation. Russia has a large reserve system in the West Siberian Lowland. The highest protected status occurs in Zapovedniks (IUCN category IV); Gydansky and Yugansky are two prominent examples. Bogs even have distinctive insects; English bogs give a home to a yellow fly called the hairy canary fly (Phaonia jaroschewskii), and bogs in North America are habitat for a butterfly called the bog copper (Lycaena epixanthe). Types of bog Bog habitats may develop in various situations, depending on the climate and topography (see also hydrosere succession). One way of classifying them is based upon their location in the landscape, and their source of water. Valley bog These develop in gently sloping valleys or hollows. A layer of peat fills the deepest part of the valley, and a stream may run through the surface of the bog. Valley bogs may develop in relatively dry and warm climates, but because they rely on ground or surface water, they only occur on acidic substrates. Raised bog These develop from a lake or flat marshy area, over either non-acidic or acidic substrates. Over centuries there is a progression from open lake, to marsh, then fen (or on acidic substrates, valley bog) and carr, as silt or peat fill the lake. Eventually peat builds up to a level where the land surface is too flat for ground or surface water to reach the centre of the wetland. This part therefore becomes wholly rain-fed (ombrotrophic), and the resulting acidic conditions allow the development of bog (even if the substrate is non-acidic). The bog continues to form peat, and over time a shallow dome of bog peat develops: a raised bog. The dome is typically a few metres high in the centre, and is often surrounded by strips of fen or other wetland vegetation at the edges or along streamsides, where ground water can percolate into the wetland. Blanket bog Main article: Blanket bog Sphagnum moss and sedges can produce floating bog mats along the shores of small lakes. This one also supports a carnivorous plant, Sundew.In cool climates with consistently high rainfall, the ground surface may remain waterlogged for much of the time, providing conditions for the development of bog vegetation. In these circumstances bog develops as a layer "blanketing" much of the land, including hilltops and slopes. Although blanket bog is more common on acidic substrates, under some conditions it may also develop on neutral or even alkaline ones, if abundant acidic rainwater predominates over the ground water. Blanket bog cannot occur in drier or warmer climates, because under those conditions hilltops and sloping ground dry out too often for peat to form – in intermediate climates blanket bog may be limited to areas which are shaded from direct sunshine. In periglacial climates a patterned form of blanket bog may occur, known as string bog. Quaking bog Quaking bog or schwingmoor is a form of bog occurring in wetter parts of valley bogs and raised bogs, and sometimes around the edges of acidic lakes. The bog vegetation, mostly Sphagnum moss anchored by sedges (such as Carex lasiocarpa), forms a mat half a metre or so thick, floating over water or very wet peat. Walking on this surface causes it to move – larger movements may cause visible ripples of the surface, or they may even make trees sway. In the absence of disturbance from waves, the bog mat may eventually cover entire bays, or even entire small lakes. Cataract bog A cataract bog is a rare ecological community formed where a permanent stream flows over a granite outcropping. The sheeting of water keeps the edges of the rock wet without eroding the soil, but in this precarious location no tree or large shrub can maintain a roothold. The result is a narrow, permanently wet, sunny habitat. Category:Habitats